


My Feelings Aren't An Act

by one_hell_of_an_otaku



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, actor!bertl, and maybe the rating will go up idek, artist!Eren, i just wanted some beruere, i'll tag more stuff as the story progresses, this ship needs some love too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-01-20 12:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1509722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_hell_of_an_otaku/pseuds/one_hell_of_an_otaku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bertholdt is just an ordinary student who just so happens to get stalked by the cutest artist ever known to walk the planet. Eren Jaeger is your average teen who just so happens to stalk the cutest cutie to ever cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I really love beruere and I was thinking "wow why doesn't this ship have any fics" and so then this happened  
> yeah
> 
> I'd like to thank tumblr user jankirushutaindesu for this idea and for ruining my life

The teen watched as hips swayed in front of him, hands grasping at nothing yet everything at the same time, listening as that sultry voice carried itself from the stage and into his slightly reddening ears.

Some might say that Eren had a crush on the lanky boy reciting poems, but he liked to think of it as a “slight infatuation” which, come to think of it, meant that he indeed did have a crush on the actor. Sure, he knew hardly anything about the boy that he “admired” from a distance, (like his name) but Eren knew for a fact that he loved to act his heart out. The way the teen recited play lines and stanzas with a burning passion just proved to confirm that fact. That very same passion was what kept the turquoise-eyed artist coming back to the theater group’s rehearsals. 

Eren’s club director had told him to go and sketch the actors to help him practice anatomy about three weeks ago, and after the first rehearsal he overlooked it became routine to grab his sketchbook and art bag before going to the auditorium. It seemed as if he couldn’t get enough of the boy reciting _Shakespeare._

The artist sighed as he continued to sketch the outline of a torso on his paper, wishing the boy on stage would turn to face him. Seeing his face was top priority after all.

Eren quickly erased a stray line he drew, hoping he was able to get the figure right since his model always wore loose-fitting shirts. _Loose enough to leave things to the imagination, I’ll tell you that._

“Bertholdt, are you ready to go? Reiner’s waiting at the front of the school already.”

A woman’s voice pulls Eren out of his sketching reverie, causing his eyes to widen. _Bertholdt. So that’s his name? It suits him so well._

The teen quickly grabbed his stuff and ran out of the auditorium before Bertholdt could see him. After all, it would be hard to explain why he was always watching the actor and just so happened to have multiple sketchbooks filled with drawings of him.

_Boy, do I have a problem…_

\---- 

That night Eren decided he would have to take drastic measures if he wanted any drastic results.

_This is going to be painful._

He grabs his phone from his pocket and scrolls through his contacts, looking for the one titled ‘douche bag’. While the ringing of the phone went through one ear and out the other, Eren grabs one of his sketchbooks and idly flips through the pages, admiring his half-finished sketches of the mysterious actor.

“ _The fuck do you want, Jaeger_?”

“Good evening to you too, _Kirschtein_.” The brunet let out a groan and held his phone next to his ear with his shoulder, bringing his hand to pull on his cheek. “Look, you know everybody in school right? Do you think you could, I dunno, find someone for me?”

The sound of clothes rustling on the other line could be heard through the speaker, and Eren would have thought that Jean buried his phone in a hole. “ _And who exactly were you planning on asking me about? Of course, before I give you any info, I’ll also need a reason for your inquiry_.”

“Fucking douche,” the artist mutters under his breath. “Alright, just don’t fucking tell anybody okay? I need this to be a secret until... well until forever.” He sighed and pulled his cheek once again, ready to tear his hair out if it meant he could hide from his embarrassment. “There’s this guy that I’ve been… admiring and I need you to find him so I can be on my merry way and never speak to you ever again.”

“ _Ooh_ ,” Jean cooed, allowing himself to sound like a schoolgirl. “ _Jaeger’s got a crush, huh? You want some pictures, too, while I’m at it_?”

“Actually, yes.”

“ _Eren, what the fuck? I was kidding. How much do you even want to know about this guy anyway? You sound like a creep_.”

“Just tell me anything about him, alright? His name is Bertholdt, though that’s pretty much the only thing I know about him.” That, and the fact that his voice is absolutely perfect along with his tan skin and the way his arms move and oh god Eren cut that shit out he’s not some sort of trophy.

“ _Holy shit_ ,” Jean half coughed-half laughed. “Bertl _is the one you’re crushing on? That guy’s a total fucking loser! He can’t even have a decent conversation with anybody_.”

Rage bubbled within Eren, and he felt the urge to punch something (specifically Jean). “Shut up and do your fucking job, alright? I told you my part so now you need to tell me yours. He’s not even that bad anyways,” the teen grumbles, whispering that last sentence.

“ _Alright, alright; don’t get your panties in a twist, Jaeger_ ,” Jean chuckles, never having been more glad to talk with Eren. It seems as if he’s got some new blackmail material on the brunet. “ _His name is Bertholdt Fubar, but usually goes by_ Bertl _. He’s in the theater club and doesn’t have many friends, so he usually seen hanging out in the auditorium. He’s close with Annie Leonhardt and Reiner Braun, and that’s pretty much all I know about him. If you want more info about him you’d have to ask one of his mentioned friends. I honestly don’t know why you’re even interested in him, though. He’s a freak.”_

The artist shrugs off the insults, wanting to stray away from them. “You’re friends with Reiner, right?” he asks, smiling at one of his older sketches. “Do you think you could convince him to hang out with us and maybe bring Bertholdt?” _Please say yes please say yes…_

“ _You got a deal if you brag about me to Mikasa_.” 

__Well, I guess not every donation comes without a price…_ _


	2. Almost Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren goes to plan a "date" with Jean, gets confronted by both the tough blonde and smart blond, and tries to make it to Saturday without completely freaking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know it's been more than a week but I decided to maybe possibly make Sundays the update day
> 
> im like 99.03% sure that i'll be able to update on Sundays

“Jesus Christ, calm your fucking tits, Jaeger.”

Eren sighs as he buries his face deeper into his hands, trying to hide away from, well, pretty much everything. After all, today is the day that he’ll finally be able to confront his mystery crush. _I feel like a fucking schoolgirl in middle school waiting for someone to ask me out… god damn it get a hold of yourself_.

“It’s not even a big deal or anything,” Jean states, waving his arms dismissively in the air. “I just go up to Reiner, say _yeah let’s hang out and stuff_ , then I invite Bertl, and everything is done. You don’t have to get all ape shit bananas over this guy.”

“Says the guy who practically drools over my sister,” the brunet replies sarcastically. “Not to mention I’ve caught you making goo-goo eyes at Armin, too.” He removes his face from his palms and crosses his arms, hoping his beige sweater would soak up the sweat gathering on his hands.

“It’s not like you haven’t looked at him that way, either, y’know. Pretty much everyone has.”

Eren lightly punches Jean on the arm, causing the latter to stumble. There was no way he was going to get away with that and not have to face any consequences, but it’s just that the brunet has to stay on his good side at all costs. He wouldn’t get anywhere closer to Bertholdt if it weren’t for Jean.

“Oi, Reiner!” Jean calls out as soon as he’s within the blond’s earshot. Reiner’s back is turned to the duo, only recognizable from his brown letter jacket and tall stature. Bertholdt is standing next to him wearing a navy blue sweater that is about 2 sizes too large for his frame, black skinny jeans, and a pair of black _Vans_. Along with the two men is Annie, wearing her signature white hoodie and a blue skirt that goes up to her knees along with blue sandals and a light pink tote bag.

The blond turns around and waves at the two walking towards him, stepping forward to meet them in the crowded hallway. “Always nice to see you, Jean,” he greets. “Got any news for me?”

“I wouldn’t call it news, but how about hanging out with Jaeger and I at the football field on Saturday?” Jean puts his hands in the pocket of his black hoodie, rocking on the back of his heels. “You should bring Bertholdt, too. I mean, if he wants to go, that is.”

Said boy crosses his arms and shifts his weight to the right side of his body, feeling uncomfortable with being put on the spot. He’s about to respond when Reiner replies for him, slapping his large hand on the other’s back. “Of course he’s going,” the blond chuckles. “What about you, Annie? You comin’ or what?”

“I’ll pass,” she answers, sounding bored. “I have a volleyball meet that day, remember?” The teen pushes her hair away from her eye, only to have it fall back into place. She grips her bag and sighs, turning to step away from the group. “Just don’t do anything reckless while you’re there.”

“Whatever you say, _Mom_ ,” Reiner jokes.

“Great.” Jean claps his hands together with a smile on his face. “See you guys at noon?”

Reiner nods and Eren forces himself to tear his eyes away from Bertholdt when Jean pulls him away from the duo. _I’ll make sure to keep that outfit in mind_ , the artist thinks. _Not to mention that face. Oh god Eren you sound like a stalker_.

“I’m pretty sure you just made Bertl 1,000 times more uncomfortable with that fucking staring problem of yours,” Jean mutters as soon as they’re in a less crowded hallway. “Seriously, what the fuck is up with that?”

“What the fuck is up with you hitting on my sister?” Eren counters, cocking his head to the side and raising his eyebrows. “You shouldn’t have a problem with it as long as I’m not staring at you, right? Or could it be that you’re jealous?” The artist wags his eyebrows, and prods at the other’s waist with his index finger.

“I’m sure that’s one of your fucked up fantasies,” Jean jokes, rolling his eyes. “Now hurry up and get the fuck out of here. Class is gonna start in like 3 minutes.”  
\--

Clutching his sketchbook in hand, Eren makes his way out of the front of the school, hoping to get home quickly and sleep to make the days pass by faster. Today is Thursday, the same day he planned to meet Bertholdt and Reiner at the field, and there were only 2 more agonizing mornings he had to get through before he could see them.

He would’ve gone directly home to meet his sister, but someone stops him, pulling him by the back of his sweater.

Eren yelps in surprise, shocked that someone was able to stop him merely by pulling his clothing. Though, it shouldn’t have been that surprising considering that there were plenty of people that were more muscular than him.

“What’s in that book of yours, Eren?”

 _Wait_ , the brunet thought. _I’ve heard that voice before… Annie?_

“What book?” The teen laughs, bringing his hand up to rub at the back of his neck. 

“That sketchbook of yours,” she points out, turning Eren to face her. “See, it’s in your hands. Care to tell me what wonders fill it?”

He glances down to the book of drawings in his hand and gives a nervous smile. “Oh, you know… Just some sketches of whatever I decided to draw.” _God this girl can be intimidating. Maybe it’s her expression? Her tone?_

“I know what’s in there, so why don’t you just give up?” she suggests. “You’ve been watching Bertholdt for almost a month, so don’t think I haven’t noticed you. The only reason he hasn’t completely freaked out about you being in there is because I told him you were drawing props.”

“If you know what’s in here, why did you ask to see my sketchbook?” the brunet asks.

“I need to see where your mind has wandered.”

“It’s nothing indecent, I promise,” Eren states, feeling slightly offended about what the answer was. “Just some sketches of Bertholdt posing is all that’s in here.”

“That couldn’t have sounded any creepier,” the blonde replies. “Just don’t try to hit on Bertl, alright? He thinks you’re just some dude who needs to practice his art skills, and I don’t need you freaking him out. Now go home and jerk off to him or something, ‘cause I bet you do.”

“That’s not true!” Eren yells, frantically stepping away from Annie.

“Sure you don’t,” she replies sarcastically, waving her hand around her head, clutching her waist with her other hand.

The brunet quickly shakes his head and turns around, making his way toward his house.

\--

Eren sighs as he covers his eye with his arm, wiggling his toes as he hears a light knock on his door. He assumes it’s either his mother or Mikasa, since his father never bothers to use any sort of manners when it comes to dealing with the son of the family.

“Yeah, yeah,” he calls out, “I’ll be there in a sec, Mika.” The brunet reaches for his green quilt that resides on his bed, cloaking himself in the fabric. Before he can climb out of his chair, the door opens and Armin enters the room, carrying a notepad and pen. Eren turns in his chair, looking toward the door to see the blonde step into the room and sit on his bed, looking around the room.

A small, twin sized bed rests in the far left corner of the room with a small black rug resting on the beige carpeting. Eren sits on a brown rolling chair that is in front of a black desk, and a small laptop rests on the surface. A large, brown dresser sits in the far right corner, and a small closet accompanies it on the right wall. The walls are bare, save for a mirror that hangs above the bed, and a framed picture of Eren’s mother that resides next to the mirror.

“Oh, Armin, what are you doing here?” the brunet asks, not fazed by the fact that his friend showed up uninvited. He spins in his chair a few times, bringing his knees up to his chest as he turns in circles. “You come here to try and make me do my homework for once?”

Armin taps his chin with his pen and hits his knee lightly with the notepad. “Eren Jaeger you are under arrest for being a loser and you’re staying in prison forever,” the blond says, throwing the objects he was holding into the air. “Pack your bags and go say bye to your mom before you leave.”

“Wait, why is my sentence so long?” Eren asks, wiggling his feet. “Do I at least get to know why I’m being called a loser? Can I have my trial? I demand a lawyer.” He furrows his brows and crosses his arms, trying to maintain a serious expression while he mutters the flurry of questions.

“Okay, you’re not going to jail,” the blonde confesses, locking his hands in place behind his head. “But, you _are_ going to tell me what’s going on with you. Who’s the lucky lady?” Armin raises his eyebrows and leans his head closer to Eren’s.

“What are you talking about?” The artist shifts in the chair and crosses his legs, trying to figure out what Armin is referring to. Though, with the way he’s acting, it’s not that hard to know what he meant.

“Eren, I know you better than anyone else,” Armin replies, waving his hands around his head. “I’m not stupid. I’ve seen you look around in the cafeteria and stare at something, or someone, and you’re making it pretty obvious. Plus, you’ve been cooped up in your room more lately and you’re not as angry. You’re like an open book.”

“There’s nothing going on! And besides, I’m not an open book.” Eren brings his knees up to his chest and holds them in place while resting his chin on his knees. “Maybe I’m just having a mood swing and this one is lasting longer than normal.”

“Not to be rude,” Armin cuts in, “but your mood swings tend to lean more toward the angry and dissatisfied department.” He shuts his eyes and slowly shakes his head, thinking of Eren’s previous emotional roller coasters. They always ended up with someone having multiple bruises, a broken limb, or a suspension from school. Though, sometimes all three of those results were present in the furious mood swings that belonged to the not so famous Eren Jaeger.

“Whatever,” the brunet grumbles, pouting his lips. “But seriously, nothing’s going on.”

“I’m going to get something out of you,” Armin states, squinting his eyes accusingly at Eren. “You’re going to slip up one day.”

“Over my dead body!” Eren exclaims, tackling Armin onto the bed.

\--

Who knew Fridays could be so horrible?

Eren sighed loudly as he trudged his way through the cramped hallways, clutching his arms together to wrap himself up in a cocoon that was made of a gray long sleeve shirt. He’d been on the edge ever since this morning. One moment he was ecstatic, hyper, and every other joyful emotion possible. The next minute he could be nervous, jittery, and every other negative feeling combined. There was no telling when he could explode. He was like a ticking time bomb this particular morning.

“Eren, you’re scaring people,” Mikasa says, grabbing onto her brother’s shoulder. “Wipe that look off your face before class or so help me I will knock you unconscious right where we stand.”

“Okay, okay,” Eren exhales, holding his hands up in defeat. “But that’s not going to change my mood on the inside, so just be aware of that in case I accidentally punch someone.” He put his hands down and shoved them into his pockets, focusing on the way the books in his backpack lightly hit his back as he walked. The change in expression helped with his mood drastically, though he’d felt better a few days ago when he didn’t have to worry about anything.

“Be good, okay? I’ll be with Sasha at lunch today, so I don’t want to come home to find out you’d gotten detention while I wasn’t there to babysit you,” Mikasa utters, ruffling the brunet’s hair. “Now go learn about history or something.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Eren smiles and makes his way through the school, heading to his next class (which was gym, not history) with a better feeling in his body.

Maybe Fridays weren’t so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote half the chapter today because I'm lazy and I hope you liked this chapter
> 
> You can find me on either my personal tumblr (marco-boot) or my writing one (kisalovesyou)
> 
> I would try to make a mix for this fic to let you guys know what I listen to while I write this but I just listen to other people's noicle mixes


	3. Say Something, You Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's the day Eren finally gets to meet his prince char-- future acquaintance. But, he doesn't get to say as much as he'd like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bertholdt's outfit is inspired by the cutie at my school that looks JUST LIKE BERTHOLDT AND WOW YOU GUYS SHOULD SEE HIM HE'S TALL AND LANKY AND MUSCULAR AT THE SAME TIME And he's just like bertl
> 
> Also Jean has the car that he does bc Marco thought they looked cute and that's the only reason why he owns it yep

Eren fidgets in his seat, patting his hair down and ruffling it up immediately after it gets flattened. He drags his hands down his face, pulling his cheeks and mouth, letting out a few drops of drool.

“Dude, don’t drool in my car,” Jean orders. “I just cleaned her.” He slaps the brunet’s cheek with the back of his hand, not hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough to make it sting.

“Yeah, because your _Volkswagen Beetle_ totally needs to be kept in mint condition,” Eren replies, rolling his eyes and touching his cheek. “Not like it’s as good looking as my car, so I don’t see what the problem is.” He crosses his arms, all worries and traces of nervousness completely eradicated.

“Then why didn’t you drive your car, hm? If yours is so much better than mine, you wouldn’t have asked for a ride.”

“Okay, it’s because my mom took my license and you know that,” Eren responds. He sighs at the memory of his mother taking away his license because he ignored her when she kept telling him to do chores around the house.

“So? It’s not like you haven’t driven without your license,” Jean shrugs. “What’s the big deal this time?”

“I’m bound to get pulled over at some point and wasn’t that the turn we were supposed to take?”

Eren points out the window, smirking when he hears Jean mutter a string of curse words and other profanities. He stares out the transparent surface, watching as the car goes into a U-turn and almost hits the curb. 

A couple of leaves fall off a few trees, and the orange and brown colors standing out in the sunlight. Just a few weeks ago the seasons changed, turning summer into fall. The temperature also decreased, causing more people to go on strolls around the neighborhood. It certainly made nice weather for going outside and talking to your potential boyfriend for the first time.

As soon as the small, yellow vehicle is parked the two teens walk towards the school, heading toward the football field. Eren watches as Jean walks ahead of him, staring at the way his gray hoodie ruffled in the wind along with his red beanie that he wore everywhere. He looked down and noticed how weird Jean walked, too. His skinny jeans and _Converse_ made his legs look strange with the way he swayed his hips with every step he took.

The brunet crosses his arms, trying to shake away the butterflies in his stomach. How far was he going to go with Bertholdt? Would they talk a lot? What if they exchanged numbers? Countless questions protrude into his mind, causing his heart to beat faster and faster by the second. But even positive questions come with negative ones. What if he didn’t like Eren? What if he embarrassed himself? Would he even get to talk to Bertholdt?

Eren takes larger steps and finds himself striding toward the bleachers in front of Jean. Everything is going to be okay. He only has to sit down, talk with Bertholdt, and then leave. Just stick to the plan and everything would be fine. Just fine.

Sitting down on the bleachers, Eren takes out his phone and skims through his pictures, looking at all the selfies he had taken with Mikasa and Armin. He stops at a certain picture and smiles, feeling at ease. He was wearing matching, purple sunglasses with his mother and they were both showing peace signs. It was one of the first pictures he had coaxed his mother into taking with him.

Jean sits down next to him and prods at his cheek with his index finger, looking down at the screen.

“Your mom’s pretty hot,” he comments, raising his eyebrows. “I wonder what happened to you.”

“One: you’re gross,” Eren lists, raising a finger for every number he says. “Two: my dad happened. And three: I’m hot and you know it.”

“If that’s how you think of yourself, so be it,” Jean says, holding his hands up defensively with a smile on his face. “Putting that aside, did you tell Mikasa anything about me?”

“Other than you’re a dumb fuckwad, then no,” Eren replies, rolling his eyes. “Why do you even want me to brag about you in front of her? She doesn’t like you, and I don’t think she ever will. Give up while you can and your heart might be a little less broken.”

“You won’t be saying that when you don’t have a ride home.”

The two bicker with each other for a while, spewing threats and curses before someone coughs behind them, catching their attention. Reiner stands on the field with a football in hand, wearing his letter jacket, and a light green shirt along with blue jeans. Bertholdt stands behind him, his left arm at his side and his right hand holding onto his limp arm. Eren’s breath catches in his throat, and he could swear that his heart skipped a beat.

Eren looks down at the teens shoes and notices how they were the same ones he wore on Thursday. He’s also wearing black skinny jeans and a gray hoodie. He glances up and bites his lips, looking at how he’s wearing glasses and since when did he wear glasses but why does that matter because _he’s wearing glasses_.

Thoughts race through Eren’s conscience, ranging from, _did he always wear those?_ to _oh god he looks so cute._ He coughs into his hand and nudges Jean with his elbow, hinting that the latter should say something.

“Reiner,” Jean calls out, “glad you could make it, man.” He stands up from where he was seated and walks down the steps, sporting a grin that could blind anyone. He proceeds to talk about football, boring Eren to the verge of slumber. Bertholdt sits on the bottom row of the stands, sitting five rows away from Eren.

The brunet fidgets in his seat, staring at his attire. A green, long sleeve shirt that fit him tight at his arms, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. Not the best of choices. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to find something to say before blurting out the next thing that came into mind.

“Have you always worn those?”

Bertholdt tenses up and turns around, tilting his head to the side, making it only noticeable to someone who was paying attention. “Excuse me?”

Eren brings his hand up and absently rubs at the back of his neck. “Your glasses, I mean. I’ve never seen you wear those.” His eyes dart to the field where Jean and Reiner pass the football to each other, trying to focus on anything to take his attention away from how awkward this conversation is going to be.

The actor brings his hands up to touch the frame of his lenses, easing up at the contact. “I’ve worn these for a while,” he admits, “just not at school.” The only times he would wear his glasses were on weekends, at his house, or when he was only hanging out with Reiner or Annie. Wearing them was like his comfort, always reminding him of the times when he was actually expressing who he was.

Eren stands up and walks down a couple of steps, putting his hands in his pocket as he goes to sit down on the bench Bertholdt was currently seated on, making sure he wasn’t too close to the other boy. “Why don’t you wear them at school? Aren’t they supposed to like, help your eyes and stuff?”

The teen nods and stares at Reiner, focusing on the way his jacket flapped in the wind every time he made a pass. “Nobody likes wearing glasses, though.”

Sighing at the answer, Eren tilts his head back, wondering why people don’t like that certain accessory. Armin likes wearing glasses. He always says that “they make me look smarter than I already am”. But then again, Eren had never worn them, so he wouldn’t know how he would feel about them. “You should wear them more often,” he says. “They suit you.” He stares at the boy in front of him before turning his head away as soon as he thinks about what he said. _They suit you_? Why did he say that? Did he sound creepy?

Bertholdt goes frigid at the comment, not used to having compliments being directed his way. Especially not by complete strangers.

They sit in silence for a while, not sure of what to say or do. It’s only when Eren feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket make him do something.

**New Message From: Douche bag  
u better make a move bc i didnt do this for nothing**

Eren picks his head up from the screen and watches as Jean throws his hands up in the air, shrugging as Reiner goes to get the ball that flew over his head.

He scoots closer to Bertholdt and clears his throat before asking, “Do you like fall?”

Bertholdt nods and intertwines his fingers in his lap. It’s a very nice season in his opinion. Not too cold to go anywhere, yet not hot enough to make you want to stay inside all day. There was always a slight breeze to keep everything in balance.

“I think it might be my favorite season,” the artist confesses. “I like seeing all the leaves change colors and watching as they fall off the tree branches. Me and my sister would always make big leaf piles and I would jump in them no matter how many times she got upset with me.”

“Y-yeah, it’s very beautiful,” Bertholdt agrees, easing some of the tension from his shoulders. The corners of his mouth lift upward a little as he reminisces about the days when he would also jump in leaf piles when he was younger. He would rake up a bunch of leaves just so he could watch them fly around the yard. His father would scold him when he did that, but it never really mattered to him. It was too fun to care about having to clean up afterwards. His shoulders drop into a more relaxed position as he touches the frame accessorizing his face.

Eren wants to say something else, anything at all, but Reiner’s booming voice pulls him away from saying another word.

“What are you guys waiting for?” He grins with the football in his hand, raised above his head. “We’re going to see a movie, so get your lazy asses down here!”

Jean smirks as he types out another message on his phone, feeling amused as he pockets his device.

**New Message From: Douche bag  
its your time to shine**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was lame but I wrote it all today because homework and stuff but i hoped you enjoyed it
> 
> you can always find me at my personal tumblr (marco-boot) or my writing one (kisalovesyou) and if u send me any beruere headcanons or au's i will love you forever


	4. Taking Up New Interests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren realizes that he may have to fight his way into a certain brunet's heart, so he decides to do the only thing that would allow them to grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo so i finally got this chapter finished and wow I'd like to thank apollosshine aka jankirushutaindesu for the [wonderful fanart](http://apollosshine.tumblr.com/post/84790878594/eren-jaeger-staring-at-bertl-in-adoration-is-all-i)  
> You have no idea how happy that made me like woo

After an awkward 2 hours in a theater consisting of Eren staring at Bertholdt nervously while Jean laughed with Reiner two seats away, they all decided to go and get coffee. Well, Jean decided.

As the two brunets were left sitting at the table waiting for their coffee while the other two “buddies” stood by the counter, Eren notices the little things about Bertholdt. He notices the way his shoulders hunch involuntarily, the way his fingers always tap on the table’s surface, the way his leg bounces slightly under the table. He always seems to keep a finger or two on his glasses, and Eren makes sure to take note of that.

Eren puts his hands in his lap and taps his fingers idly on his thigh. He knows that Jean left him here to try and make him feel as nervous as possible. He probably told Reiner about his fascination with Bertholdt, too. And that was the scary part. Those two would either make his life a living hell, or they’d help him out and score him a boyfriend. There was no way to know what approach they were willing to take. It didn’t help that Eren was never the most likeable or popular guy in school. He was always reserved unless he was provoked to say or do something, and getting harassed happened almost every day of the week. Reiner and Jean were basically his ticket to an easy life or a road of hardships.

While Eren is immersed in his thoughts, staring out the window of the not-so-popular café, Bertholdt takes it as the time to scan over the boy sitting across from him.

Why was he called out to go hang out with Jean and Eren, anyways? Didn’t Jean practically hate him? Maybe he was just trying to be polite by inviting him along with Reiner. But even so, it didn’t explain why Eren Jaeger, a.k.a. the artist that was in the auditorium after school every day, was also here. Bertholdt has his suspicions, and when Annie told him that Eren was only there to sketch props, it could’ve been a huge lie. It’s still too early to tell, though. He’d just have to wait and see how everything plays out.

He hoped it played in his favor, whatever it was supposed to be.

After a few more minutes of silence between the two, Reiner and Jean show up with two Styrofoam cups of coffee in each hand. They pass out the cups and Eren let a huff of air out of his nose when the scalding liquid pours down his throat. Bitter yet sweet at the same time. Perfect.

“So, Eren,” Reiner says in between sips of coffee. “You got a girlfriend?” The question takes said boy by surprise and he chokes on his drink, rubbing his chest as he sets his cup down.

“Excuse me?”

“C’mon,” the blonde pushes. “You can’t tell me that a guy such as yourself is single. There’s no way that’d happen. You gotta have someone, right?”

Eren swears he sees Jean smirk next to him but decides to answer the question anyways. “No, actually,” he says. “Never bothered to think about getting a girlfriend. Girls are complicated.”

Reiner chuckles and rubs the back of his neck, nodding at the statement. “I’ll admit that that’s true. I can never tell what Annie’s thinking half of the time, so complicated is definitely the right word for it.”

“What? No way,” Jean argues, slamming his hands down onto the table. “You guys have it all wrong. You see, women are like paintings. They look abstract and difficult to decipher half the time, but when you figure out the big picture, you see that they’re very beautiful and precious.”

“Coming from probably the biggest gay I know,” Reiner jokes, slapping the other on the back.

Eren glances over at Bertholdt, ignoring the argument going on between the athletes on either side of him. The way the actor shrinks into himself makes Eren want to do something to comfort him. Anything at all.

“So, Reiner,” Eren speaks up, hoping to change the subject. “What are you planning to do when college comes around?” The blonde proceeds to tell the group about his sports scholarship he’s getting, not fazed by the sudden topic change. Eren nods, only half listening to the news as he sees that Bertholdt has moved into a more relaxed position, smiling at Reiner’s words. It’s only then that Eren realizes something he hadn’t thought of before.

Reiner is actually decent competition that he may have. The brunet never stopped to think about any friends Bertholdt was close to, so this was a bit of a shock to him. The way the actor looked at Reiner served as more proof that he was something not to be taken lightly. After all, Bertholdt was closer to the blonde, so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he didn’t give a single fuck about Eren.

He continues to nod and devise a plan to get Bertholdt to like him as much as possible.

Eren was going to take an interest in theater.

\--

The teen sighs as he pulls his hair, screaming in frustration. How was he supposed to know any famous poets or playwrights? It’s not like he ever paid attention in English class or anything. He shuts his laptop and spins in his chair, pushing away from the desk.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

He ignores the shouts coming from his mother and walks to his closet. He grabs a box from the floor and opens it, frowning when he finds Christmas decorations. Eren pulls out several more boxes before he finds what he’s looking for in a clear container. He drags it out of his closet and carries it over to his bed, sorting through the books in the box. He places a few rhyming books on his bed when he finds the book he’s looking for.

 _Shel Silverstein_ ’s copy of _A Light In The Attic_ sits in his hands with a few scribbles on the cover. His father had bought him that book when he turned seven years old, hoping it made a sufficient birthday present. Sure enough it did, and Eren carried it everywhere until he moved houses, losing the book in a pile of other knick knacks he may have had.

Turning the book in his hands, Eren lay on his stomach on the floor. He opens the book and turns a few pages, reading the poems displayed on the paper. He counts as a poet, right? Why else would there be poems in there? I may not be as fancy as _William Shakespeare_ or whoever else writes plays, but it was still some sort of introduction to theater.

Feeling content with the start on his new hobby, Eren reads the book until it’s time for dinner.

\--

Eren sighs as he gets ready for his next class, art, upset that the weekend had passed so fast. He grabs his sketchbook and a few pencils from his locker, along with an eraser and a sharpener. He shoves the smaller items in the pockets of his jeans and holds his pencil and sketchbook, closing his locker to head to class.

He’s about to walk down the hallway when someone pushes him against the locker and holds him in place.

Eren blinks in confusion and looks down to see Armin pressing his shoulders against the lockers. He has a serious expression on his face, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be letting the artist go anywhere.

“Nice to see you too?” Eren asks, letting out a small laugh.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Eren cocks his head to the side and watches as Armin’s mouth curves upward into a smile. He pushes the blond off of him and brushes his shirt down. “Eren Jaeger, crushing on no one other than Bertholdt Fubar. You never would’ve expected it. I sure didn’t. In fac—“

Armin is cut off when Eren’s hand covers his mouth, pulling him closer with his free hand. “Thanks for the next headline for the newspaper, Armin,” the brunet exhales. “Who told you?” He looks around to see if anyone heard the outburst, grateful when nobody spares a glance their way.

The blond peels the tanned hand away from his mouth, wiping his lips with the back of his much paler hand. “Well let’s just say that I have my way with men,” he says. “Jean’s a sucker if you compliment his hair, you know.”

“Wait, why did you ask him?”

“Eren, I’m not stupid,” Armin scolds. “You of all people should know that most. I’ve seen you hang out with him even when you don’t have to, and that raises a red flag considering you hate his guts. Or you used to, at least.” He places his index finger on his lip and stares at the ceiling, clearly thinking about something.

“Whatever,” Eren sighs. “Just don’t tell Mikasa, okay? I don’t need her trying to get involved in my life more than she already tries to. Not to mention that if Mom hears about this she’ll make a fuss and Dad will go fucking crazy.”

“My lips are sealed.” The blond zips his lips with his fingers and throws away a makeshift key. “But if you want to go anywhere with him, you’re going to need to pay more attention in English class. You’re going to need something to talk about if you want to get to know him at all.”

“Yeah yeah, I know. I’ve already started reading poetry, so it’s all fine and well.”

Armin raises an eyebrow and lets out a chuckle. “What? Eren Jaeger you say? Reading something that’s actually going to help his education?”

“Shut up, you fucker,” Eren laughs, punching his friend lightly on the arm. “I’m actually pretty smart, so don’t act so surprised. I just don’t want to learn and stuff.”

“But you’ll doodle in your notebooks all day long. Shame on you.”

“Speaking of shame,” Eren says. “The one and only Armin Arlert proceeds to be late for class for the first time ever! Watch as he quickly runs away to escape from his tardiness.” As if on cue, the tardy bell resonates through the hallway and Armin quickly mutters a combination of “see you later” and “good luck, Eren” before running off to his math class.

Eren shakes his head and walks out of the main building, heading for his next class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about theater or acting so Wikipedia is now my best friend  
> Hooray more studying
> 
>  
> 
> Find me at my personal tumblr (marco-boot) or my writing one (kisalovesyou)


	5. Should Have Spoken Up Sooner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds himself in an unexpected place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't interesting at all and I'm sorry it took me 50000 years to write since it's so short but my excuse is that im just a pile of dumb that's trying to get ready for a convention

Placing his phone onto the desk, Eren grabs a book and sits on his bed. He flips through the pages, not bothering to read the book’s words, but instead losing himself in his thoughts.

It’d been exactly a week since he met up with Bertholdt, Reiner, and Jean and the football field. Exactly a week and he wondered if he did the right thing by asking Jean to arrange the meet up. Exactly a week and he considered planning another get together. _Exactly a week and I’m counting the days like some dumb kid waiting for their birthday._

He slams the book shut and throws it onto his desk, next to his phone. Sighing as he hears the thud echo through the room, Eren remembers a poem he read a few nights ago. He isn’t sure how he stumbled across it, not bothering to remember or even go through his browser history. But he does remember the words.

The words that felt like silk as they rolled off his tongue in the dead of night. The very same words that would be the opening to a new friendship with a certain brunet.

The words that he couldn’t place a meaning to, but loved anyways.

Even though Eren didn’t quite understand the poem, he liked reading it. He read it so much that the lines etched themselves into his brain. Because even if he had no idea what was going on, he didn’t want to forget it.

“ _Because it all just breaks apart, and the pieces scatter and rearrange without much fanfare or notice_.” Eren rests his head on the wall behind him, repeating the stanzas he memorized. “ _Because you can't and don't remember the step that kicked up dust and left this planet—you'd give up even more now. Because the body itself— the heart's not dead but deeper, wrapped up in curtains, a different color, among the railings and the pigeons, the rooftops and walls— for all you know it's a question of bread or beer_.”

He shuts his eyes and exhales before continuing the second half of the poem.

“ _Because even love returns. The city's all brightness and shadow, deckle-edged, bluer than air—there's no help anywhere— you no longer know how to listen. And love says, love— midnight to midnight, already ablaze. And the boulevard— wide-open. And the well-stocked crowdless market, and a lone taxi blears. Even happiness— the way anger's come back to roost again. And joy, though joy's not in the ear or the eye. On this walk. The gulls hover offshore and the islands are speckled with fire. Even love, even because_.”

Yeah, he definitely can’t piece that puzzle together.

\--

He shuts his locker with a sigh and presses his forehead onto the cool metal. Today was off to a great start. Every teenage boy in the world loves waking up to his father’s screaming and whining and griping. _”Eren? Have you seen my briefcase?” No, Dad, I haven’t. “Well where is it?” I don’t know, Dad. Did you check in the closet? “Are you hiding it?” Why would I want to do that? Have you asked Mom? “Give me my briefcase. I’m going to be late for work.” I told you, I don’t know where it is. “Have you seen my shoes?” Are they in the closet like they’re supposed to be? “Don’t back talk to me”_ In order to avoid further conversation with his lovely father, Eren ran outside with one shoe on, a jacket worn on only the right half of his body, and his hair in knots.

He reaches into his pocket and fishes for his phone, frowning when he doesn’t feel it in his jeans. Yeah, it was going to be a great day. The brunet trudges away from his locker, hoping that the day would pass by quickly and sleep would soon be an option.

“Uh, Eren?”

“Not now,” he grumbles.

“You d-dropped something.”

Eren turns around to face the owner of the wavering voice, ready to possibly punch them in the face because, no, he didn’t want to deal with anybody’s shit today. But when he’s forced to look up at the male before him, his face lights up like a Christmas tree. His eyes widen and a smile replaces the frown he was wearing. “Oh, Bertholdt.” His voice goes all cheery and he stands up straighter and he forgets all negative thoughts and and and-- _I hope I’m not making things_ too _obvious._

“This is yours, right?” Bertholdt clears his throat and holds out a notebook, waiting for the shorter to grab it.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks,” he says as he takes hold of the dropped object and hugs it to his chest. “But, uh, what are you doing on this side of the school? I don’t usually see you here in the mornings.”

“Reiner asked me to b-bring him something,” Bertholdt says as he clears his throat. “I thought that I should try and find you to see if you wanted to m-maybe go to lunch with me t-today.” He brings his hand up to his mouth and closes it, coughing into his fist.

_He’s basically asking me out on a date. Except it’s not a date, but it sounds better that way._ “Yeah, sure, I’ll go with you.” Eren’s voice stays even, and it’s only out of sheer luck and willpower that it doesn’t crack when he responds. “Is there a, uh, reason for you to ask me this?” All’s well and good, but he’s pretty sure Bertl wouldn’t just ask him out to lunch for no reason. Or maybe he didn’t have a reason. Ah, a boy can dream.

“I wanted to see some of the sketches you drew. You know… the ones from the auditorium.”

And here lies Eren Jaeger. He lived a good life.

“Alright.”

He spent the rest of the day drawing dumb equipment and furniture in a sketch book until lunch time came around.

\--

Running his hand through his hair for the fifth time, Eren decides that he should probably walk into the cafeteria to look for Bertholdt. Students are walking around, most of them sitting at tables and eating. He scans over the room and squints until his eyes land on his target. The actor seemed to have spotted Eren at the same time and stood up from his seat with Reiner and Annie, making his way over to where Eren stood.

Bertholdt greets the other with a small wave, glancing over to an empty table in a corner of the cafeteria. “I hope you don’t mind if we sit alone, I kind of wanted some privacy.” Eren nods and follows the larger to the empty table, clutching his sketchbook in his arms. The two sit at the table and Eren notices how Bertholdt would idly tap his fingers on the table’s surface or his thigh. He wonders if that’s a habit Bertholdt had for a while.

Eren shakes his head and opens the notebook to a page that has a fold in the top right corner and slides it over to Bertholdt. “Feel free to, uh, look at anything past this point. Yeah…” He clears his throat and looks around the room, suddenly conscious of the fact that yes, a boy was looking through his drawings, and yes, the very same page before the folded paper was in fact a sketch of the very same boy. 

The artist glances over at where Bertholdt is sitting and notices the way the latter traces some of the lines softly with his index finger. He was currently tracing the rough lines of some stage curtains, reveling in how smooth the ruffles and folds of the fabric looks. It probably would look better painted, Bertholdt thinks, but decides that a pencil sketch would probably be just as good.

“These are actually pretty good,” Bertholdt admits, grinning softly at a drawing of a few stage lights.

“You say that as if I were a horrible artist,” Eren jokes, feigning to be hurt. He put his hand over his heart and smiles, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Well….”

Eren gently smacks the other’s hand, laughing a bit louder at Bertholdt’s reply. And then that’s when Eren realizes that it wasn’t so hard talking to the actor. It felt good. _Natural_ in a way, actually. If he knew that earlier the artist wouldn’t have waited too long to try and approach Bertholdt.

The two spend the rest of their lunch period looking through Eren’s sketchbook and cracking subtle jokes.

And Eren wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the poem Eren reads is called _Even Because_ by _Ralph Angel_
> 
> if u guys ever want me to update faster then u could always message me on tumblr (anon or not) and like tell me  
> i would actually be p grateful since im lazy and a huge procrastinator
> 
> writing/fic tumblr: kisalovesyou  
> personal tumblr: marco-boot


	6. Maybe I'm Overreacting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much an entire chapter's worth of Eren and Armin chatting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hah,,, did u know how easy it is to forget that time passes really fast  
> i experienced it first hand
> 
> //sorry//

“It was just so easy, Armin! Like, I didn’t even have to go up to him!”

“Oh yeah, then what happened?”

Eren is sitting on his bed, throwing his hands in the air, trying to describe a quiet moment with very loud statements and way too many quick movements.

Armin sits on the floor with his back to the bed, flipping pages in a magazine he picked up from the brunet’s floor. _101 ways to please your man_ is what it read. Why Eren would have it, the blond would never know and asking wasn’t an option either.

“He came up to me and asked me on a date.”

“I’m sure he did,” Armin says, his tone gradually becoming more monotone and emotionless. He’d feel guilty for not paying attention to his best friend’s story, but since Eren didn’t notice when he first started becoming uninterested, he considered it to be fine.

“Yeah it was great!” Eren lies down on his side and leans over to see what Armin was doing, only to notice the blond’s expression. He sighs and rests his head in his hand. “And then we totally made out on the table and then you started cheering me on.”

“I sure did, Eren,” Armin answers, flipping the page once more.

Eren reaches over and pulls the magazine out of Armin’s hand and throws it across the room, smiling triumphantly when the other raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you going to pay attention to me or am I going to have to throw you at the wall so you can join that dumb magazine?”

“Oh Eren,” Armin says softly, grabbing Eren’s free hand and holding it in his own. “You know I’d rather have you throw me against the wall than hear you talk.”

“Hey,” Eren says sternly, pulling his hand away. “Maybe I’ll kick you out of a window instead. Let’s see if you’ll appreciate me after then.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen. But, you can’t exaggerate your stories anymore.”

“How do you know that everything I mentioned didn’t actually happen?”

“Well,” Armin replies, “if I saw you and Bertholdt make out on the table I definitely would’ve tried to get some action in that exchange—“

“Gross.”

“—and Jean and I were sitting at a few tables away from yours.”

“Hold the phone, Armin. You and Jean? Sitting at a table? Like, together?”

Armin lightly punches Eren in the arm and laughs. “Calm down. We didn’t make out on the table, unlike you and Bertholdt.”

“Yeah I’m sure you didn’t,” Eren responds, rolling his eyes. “You probably did it in the janitors’ closet, though…”

“You really think I would do something like that? I thought you knew me better.” Armin puts his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

“Well if I don’t get things to work out with me and Bertl then maybe I’ll marry Jean and we’ll live in the mountains with our 9 children.”

“If any of that happened I would go and legally change my name to Eren Jaeger.”

“You say that like my name is a bad thing,” Eren laughs.

“…”

“Fuck you.”

\--

Eren walks around after school, heading towards the art building when he sees Bertholdt heading toward the main building of the school. He runs over to the actor and tugs on his hoodie. Bertholdt turns around and greets him with a ‘hello’.

“Where are you headed?” Eren asks. “I thought your club room was on the other side of the school.”

“Oh it is,” Bertholdt says. “But I’m going to a poetry reading today. Someone from theater is in it and they wanted some people to go. You should come see it with me.” As cliché as it sounds, Eren could swear his heart skipped a beat or two.

“Sounds like fun,” Eren gulps, trying not to overreact. Who knew that hanging out could sound like a possible date when you’re invited by the person you may be in love with?

 

Eren ended up paying absolutely no attention to what anybody said on stage. No, instead he decided to stare at the way Bertholdt would smile when somebody would go and recite something he thought was amazing, or how Bertl would put his glasses on and then rub his eyes because he hadn’t worn them for hours. So when Eren was asked what he thought of all the poems, he didn’t know what to say.

“Well, uh, they were pretty great,” he mutters looking at his shoes as they walked home. “There’s no way I could think up something like that.” He holds his phone and turns it in his hand, feeling the way the screen would be cold in some places and warmer in others. Yeah, that was definitely easier to focus on rather than the boy next to him.

“Well, you’re right about that,” Bertholdt chuckles. “I don’t think you’re _that_ creative.” He brings his hand up to his mouth and smiles, covering his lips and part of his nose while he laughs.

“Well that’s not very nice, now is it?” Eren smiles and lightly bumps into the actor’s side with his shoulder, realizing how his day to day life was practically turning into some cliché movie.

“Maybe it is,” Bertl says. “Constructive criticism at its finest is what that was.”

“There was nothing constructive about what you said.”

“Maybe to you it wasn’t.”

Cliché or not, Eren can’t stop another smile from appearing on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this is short but i wanted to get this up since im gonna be really busy with school. my teachers keep giving me projects and stuff so im on a really tight schedule with what i need to focus on

Eren rolls off of his bed and groans when his head hits the floor, curling in on himself. Reading is hard and boring and Eren grins when he realizes he probably doesn’t need to get into theater. He doesn’t need to read poems and stuff to get Bertholdt to like him more, right? God, he hopes not.

Well even if he does have to take up the hobby again, he’d just deal with it when the time came.

\--

“Eren, you need to eat something,” Armin groans, trying to shove a curly fry into the brunet’s mouth. “Eat whatever this is.” He sets the fry down and starts pointing at his tray. “I think it’s pizza but you never know what’s hiding under this gigantic layer of grease.”

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Eren asks with a smile, not looking up from a drawing he was currently working on. It was of a library with rows and rows of shelves filled to the brim with books. A single person sat down at an empty table and was reading a book. They ended up looking a little like Bertholdt, but Eren hoped nobody would notice since their face wasn’t showing.

“Here, shove this down his throat, Armin,” Mikasa orders, tossing an apple at the blond. He quickly catches it and is about to coerce Eren into eating it when he grabs it out of his hand.

“Alright, you guys win,” he sighs in defeat. Eren holds it with his left hand and leans away from the table when juice drips down his chin. He wipes it away with his sleeve and ignores the disgusted noise Armin makes next to him when he sees how dirty his clothes are getting.

“So, how are things going with Bertholdt?” Armin pries, resting his chin in his hands and ignoring the loud crack of the apple being broken apart.

“Who’s Bertholdt?” Mikasa quickly asks, staring at Armin.

“He’s just a friend, calm down,” Eren answers for the blond, forcing himself to take his eyes off his paper. “We, uh, we were working on a project together.” Eren gulps and hopes Mikasa doesn’t notice any signs of lying. He doesn’t need her prying into his love life. Last time she did she ended up sending a girl running on the verge of tears in middle school. It may have been because of physical force but who knows, right?

“Well why hasn’t he been around the house?”She asks, squinting her eyes at him.

“He had all the supplies and notes at his house and we didn’t want to carry them back to our place,” he lies, quickly taking another bite into the apple.

Mikasa nods and continues to eat her food, checking her phone every once and a while before typing out a message. Eren doesn’t think she suspects a thing.

\--

Bertholdt lies in his bed and tenses when he feels his phone vibrate in his hands, startled by the buzzing noise in his all too quiet house. His parents had gone out for the evening and he was home alone, but it wasn’t all that great considering how every slight sound startled him. He unlocks his phone and checks his notifications. 

**Eren:** _Busy?_  
 **Bertholdt:** _Nope. Something wrong?_  
 **Eren:** _I was thinking about going to the movies on Friday with Armin wanna come?_  
 **Bertholdt:** _Sounds like fun._  
 **Eren:** _See you at 7!!!_

Smiling to himself, Bertholdt puts his phone down on his bed and buries his face in his pillow. He was never the one to get asked out to go places. It was always “ _Hey Reiner… Oh and you, too._ ” or “ _Can my friend, Bertl, come, too?_ ” It’d been a while since he hung out with people besides Reiner and Annie so he wasn’t sure if he should be excited or anxious that he wasn’t going to be with those two.

He didn’t want to sound desperate, but he was excited to go. He had friends like Armin who would talk to him occasionally, so having someone who was actually willing to initiate conversation was rare. Hopefully that would all change soon.


End file.
